A Child Changes Everything
by Sara K M
Summary: Elfeya struggles to accept her pregnancy while she and her truemate, Shan, are being held captive by the high mage, Vadim Maur. Written for the WA Role Reversal Challenge.


A Child Changes Everything

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the** _ **Tairen Soul**_ **quintet.**

Amarynth. What was Elfeya v'En Celay going to do about these white flowers?

Under any other circumstances, seeing the most precious flower of the Fey would be time for celebration. The greatest celebration of her life. After all, these flowers meant she was to have her first child.

Elfeya had waited over a thousand years to have a child with her Shan. They should be wrapped in each other's arms, discussing how wonderful this was. Would their baby have his green eyes or her red hair? Would he grow to be one of the fiercest warriors the Fey had ever known, like Shan, or would she grow be a strong healer, like Elfeya?

But how could Elfeya celebrate now?

She lived her days in a cage and Shan lived in another. The sel'dor that covered their cages prevented them from ever trying to use magic to escape. They weren't allowed to see each other nearly enough. In fact, Elfeya saw Vadim Maur, their captor, far more often than Shan, as he often summoned her to heal him. Occasionally, he even forced her to mate with him. Even worse was the way Maur and his servants, the Eld, tortured Shan.

This child changed everything. Elfeya's pain overwhelmed her as she thought about bringing her child into the world she now lived.

 _Elfeya?_ Shan suddenly creeped into her mind. _Shei'tani, I felt your torment. It's been a long time since it has been this bad. Did he – ?"_

 _No,_ Elfeya replied through their bond. _Not that,_ growing sick from pain as she remembered the way Maur touched her in the past. Then she thought of their current predicament. _It would almost be better if that was the reason for my pain._

Shan's shock rushed through Elfeya, as did his unending love. _What is it, Elfeya?_

 _Amarynth, Shan. Amarynth are growing in my cage._

 _Oh Elfeya, a child_! Shan exclaimed, his joy filling her being.

 _But that's it, shei'tan. It should be a wonderful thing. The most wonderful thing since our souls were joined as one. But how can it possibly be a good thing now?_ Elfeya's eyes scanned the dark lair that was their home now. In the distance, she could hear all of the murderous Eld who served Maur. _What might happen to our child?_

 _Elfeya_ , Shan thought to her sharply, using the tone he would with one of the many unruly students he'd taught in the distant past. _Pick up the Amarynth_.

Obediently, Elfeya picked up one of the precious blossoms, feeling its delicate petals on her fingers. She knew her Shei'tan would be able to see her actions through their bond.

 _Good,_ Shan told her. Now _feel its power. The power of life. Our life. A life we made together._ _No matter what obstacles we face, that is always a reason for joy. A blessing from the gods._

Despite herself, a small smile spread across Elfeya's face as she felt the power of the Amarynth. She breathed in its sweet nectar of life. A child that she and Shan had wanted for so long. _You're right, Shan. This is a reason for a bit of joy. Perhaps hope as well._ After all, a child did change everything.

 _Your soul calls out. Mine answers, shei'tani._ Shan told her, reminding her once again of the power of their truemate bond. It was a bond that allowed them eternal love. It also assured them that any children Elfeya conceived would only be Shan's. No matter how many times Maur tried, he couldn't conceive a child with Elfeya. And a child that came from that bond should and would be, wonderful.

Looking through her sel'dor cage into Maur's lair, Elfeya decided it wasn't as dark as before.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"You've become far more useful than I ever expected, Elfeya, my pet," Vadim Maur, the most powerful mage in Eld, told her as he collected the amarynth from her cage. "This child could be the key to everything."

Elfeya wished she could wipe that calculating, victorious smile right off his face. And despite the fact that female fey were supposed to be unable to fight, a part of her thought she could. She'd seen Shan instruct students long enough to know exactly how to hit someone properly. The tairen, usually dormant inside her, roared at Maur's implications.

But her instincts were too strong. Fey women did not fight. Besides, Elfeya refused to give her captor the satisfaction that he'd gotten to her. So instead, she stared into his dark, malicious eyes as he touched her cheek.

OOOOOOOOOO

Elfeya received a lot of good, hearty meals once her pregnancy was discovered. Stew with extra meat and vegetables, thick pieces of fluffy bread, and glasses of milk. She had no idea where half the food came from, considering Maur's lair was underground, but she was eating better now than she had in a thousand years.

She wished they were feeding Shan half as well. But of course, her shei'tan wasn't important right now, as far as Maur was concerned. And they could share many things through their bond, but food wasn't one of them.

Raising her hand, Elfeya prepared to take a bite of stew. She could already smell the mixture of meat, carrots, and onions, but suddenly she put it down. How could she eat this when they were still feeding Shan so poorly? Worse, Maur and the other eld were only pampering Elfeya so they could _use_ her child for who knew what purpose.

She threw the rest of the stew on the floor of her cage before she could change her mind.

OOOOOOOOOO

After that, Elfeya's mouth was pried open, and the food was forced into her mouth. "Master Maur wants that child healthy," said the eld who forced a piece of bread down her throat. "He refuses to let you starve yourself and deprive him of his prize. So eat."

Elfeya swallowed the bread, which tasted dry and hard, despite its moist texture. She hated the way her child was described as Maur's "prize." Shan continued to insist their child was a blessing from the gods, but it was getting harder and harder for Elfeya to agree with him.

In fact, Elfeya wondered if she should weave a death spell on her child. Wouldn't that be better than allowing Maur to do whatever he planned?

But could Elfeya really do that? Fey women did not kill. Ever. They felt too much of their victim's pain, especially a shei'dalin as strong as Elfeya. And here she was, thinking of ending her child's life before he or she had time to live. But if it prevented Maur from getting his hands on her little one… was it worth it? A child certainly changed everything…

And suddenly all thoughts of that nature were gone as Shan's pain seized her again. They were torturing her shei'tan again. _I am here_ she told him through their bond. _I love you._

OOOOOOOOOOO

Gathering her magic sometime later, Elfeya stared at her slightly rounded stomach. Tears rolled down her face, knowing the pain had barely begun. But it was the only way.

But as she concentrated on spinning her weaves, one of the eld entered her cage with a glass of milk and another piece of bread. "I don't know what magic you're trying to weave, but it's not going to do you any good," he snapped. "Now open up."

He forced her mouth open and poured the liquid down her throat.

Maur appeared as she finished chewing the bread. "I hear you've been trying to weave some type of magic on that child, pet," he said, his cold smile on his face. "I need you and your child under my control. You aren't going to do _anything_ to my prize. I need that child healthy." He ran his fingers through her long red hair as he spoke, making Elfeya shiver on the inside. "I think I will bind you a bit more, just as I did with your mate."

Her skin burned as Maur wrapped her arms and stomach with the same sel'dor that lined her cage. "I don't have to tell you, pet how much more it will hurt to weave even a small amount of magic wrapped in this?"

Staring at him in the eye, Elfeya hated him with all her being. She shook her head.

"Good," Maur replied, marching out of her cage, like he was taunting her lack of freedom.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

 _Shei'tani?_ Shan asked through their bond. _I feel_ _so much pain from you. Is it the baby?_

Elfeya relished that her shei'tan was no longer being tortured and was of sound mind again. At the same time, how could she begin to explain what happened to him? _Oh Shan, I… Your soul calls out. Mine answers, She'tan,_ she told him, reminding him of their bond before she admitted what she had been about to do.

 _I love you, Elfeya_. Shan told her. _Now what is it?_

 _I've been so afraid of what Maur might use our baby for, Shan. He calls the child his "prize."_

Elfeya felt Shan's rage at that, and his tairen, much more conscious in him thanks to Maur's evil magic, roared. She saw him fantasize about ripping Maur's head off and dance in a sea of the mage's blood.

 _Yes,_ Elfeya agreed, trying to anchor him so he wouldn't slip into madness again. _I thought… the only way I could stop him from using our child was if I weaved a death spell on him. But Maur and the other eld stopped me before I could do it. They've wrapped me in sel'dor._

Shan's shock and horror filled Elfeya. _Shei'tani, I hate when you are in pain, but I must admit I'm glad Maur stopped you. You cannot think of doing that again. Our child will bring joy, remember?_

Elfeya stared at the Amarynth that had bloomed in her cage recently, willing herself to believe him. Then she remembered Maur's victorious look as he touched the flowers and she felt sick. _But Maur, Shan…_

 _No Elfeya,_ Shan told her, once again using the harsh voice he'd used against unwilling students. _Tairen do not abandon their kits. Tairen defend the pride,_ he told her, reminding Elfeya of an old Fey motto. The magical, cat – like creatures that were distantly related to all fey were fiercely protective of their families, particularly their young. Fey could be just as protective.

 _Shei'tani, we_ will _find a way to save our child from Maur. But you must not consider this again. It would be far to painful for you, for one. And I cannot handle anything happening to our child. Take care of him or her. For both of us._

 _Tairen defend the pride,_ Elfeya agreed. And she could never do that if she killed their child. For any reason.

Stroking her stomach as they spoke through their bond, Elfeya felt something wonderful suddenly fluttered beneath her palm. _Shan! The baby, he_ just _moved!_ She stroked her stomach again, hoping to feel their tiny life again. _Oh Shei'tan, you were right. I could never do anything to hurt him. I'm so sorry I almost tried._

 _That's wonderful, Elfeya,_ Shan told her, feeling his joy and love fill her being.

Elfeya never thought it was possible, but somehow, she felt grateful for Maur today. He stopped her from making a terrible mistake. Somehow, Elfeya had been wrong and Maur had been right.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Elfeya consumed all the nutritious food the Eld provided with her after that. She often stroked her stomach as it grew, feeling the baby move and its energy responding to hers. She picked up all the Amarynth that grew in her cell and smelled the sweet scent of the precious white flower.

Maur still appeared in her cage occasionally, checking her progress and talking excitedly about his prize that Elfeya was growing for him. He still made her sick with his cold eyes and calculating smile. And when he stroked her stomach, she wanted to scream.

But Elfeya wouldn't let Maur scare her again. Shan had promised her they would find a way to save their child from the mage. Tairen defend the pride, she reminded herself again and again. So, she simply stared back into his cold eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Pains seized Elfeya over and over as she laid strapped to Maur's birthing table. Despite the fact that Elfeya knew they would come, the agony was almost overwhelming. When would they end? Ordinarily a Fey woman had healers to help her as she gave birth, but that wasn't possible in Maur's lair. Elfeya was the only healer in this dark, horrible place.

Screaming, Elfeya's voice rang through the entire lair as another pain hit. Distantly, she felt her she'tan roar and snarl as his madness temporarily took over. Thanks to Maur's evil magic Shan couldn't even be present through their bond for the birth of their child.

A different kind of pain shot through Elfeya and cold hatred of Maur filled her being.

"Push, red – haired one," the eld standing over her demanded.

Elfeya pushed and the pain of several different types increased.

And then her heart stopped, as she noticed the baby's energy was draining before it was even born. Tears filled her eyes as she pushed harder and harder. Was this the gods' punishment for Elfeya's dark thoughts and plans a few months ago?

"Is Master Maur in the Well of Souls?" the Eld standing over Elfeya asked another in the background somewhere.

"Yes," the other eld replied. "Push, you worthless woman," she then snapped at Elfeya. "We need this child out of you!"

Despite her pains, Elfeya felt a chill go through her as they mentioned the Well of Souls. It meant Maur was using the same evil magic on their child that he had used on Shan to cause his terrible madness spells. Still, if it would save her baby, it might be worth it.

Elfeya pushed again, still feeling the baby's energy draining.

"Harder," the Eld standing next to the table shouted. "What are we going to do if the child dies?" she asked the other eld again.

"Don't think of that," snapped the Eld in the background.

Elfeya didn't want to think of that either. If Maur had to use his terrible, evil magic to save her baby, so be it. She pushed again, trying to give her child all the strength she had.

All at once, her child's energy returned. Elfeya gave one more push, and the baby was out. It was a beautiful baby girl with her flaming red hair and Shan's deep green eyes. She was perfect.

Soon Maur appeared, examining the child with that calculating, victorious smile of his. But for once, Elfeya didn't even mind. His magic might just have saved her baby, after all. A child definitely changed everything.

When Maur lifted the baby into the air in triumph joy welled up in her heart as well, especially when Shan's mind found hers. Their child was alive and healthy! _She is glorious, Shei'tani. She looks so much like you, with that red hair. So I think her name should be Ellysetta._


End file.
